South
Rescue, recovery efforts continue in North Carolina as Helene's death toll exceeds 240 in Southeast
North Carolina continues its recovery from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene. Over 130,000 residents remain without power, facing the daunting task of cleaning up debris and rebuilding their lives. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell is in Swannanoa, North Carolina, providing updates on the ongoing recovery efforts.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Recovery and resilience continue in the Southeast following Hurricane Helene after the historic storm killed at least 248 people with hundreds more still unaccounted for from the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina.
Communities are still reeling along Florida’s Big Bend, which took the brunt of Helene’s eye wall and storm surge, and in southern Georgia, where Helene’s hurricane-force winds caused widespread property damage.
But it’s the widespread devastation of the mountainous communities of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee where the scope of the catastrophe continues to slowly come into focus.
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Debris and damage remain strewn across entire cities as multiple rivers fed by 15-30 inches of rain swelled to well beyond record flood heights, sending torrents of water feet deep raging through streets and neighborhoods. It left behind unfathomable scenes of destruction – a mix of buildings, cars, trees, power lines and whatever else Helene’s torrential rains could sweep away.
As some survivors in North Carolina return home for the first time since Helene’s flood, they are confronted with a heartbreaking reality. The scenes of destruction are almost beyond comprehension. FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar is live from Cove Creek with the latest update.
Now, with rivers receded, faded water lines along the tops of homes and buildings mark the staggering heights floodwaters reached, and mountains of mud and debris leave a residual reminder of how neighborhoods became temporary river beds.
Amid the heartache of immense loss, communities across the hard-hit area face a dual challenge of cleaning up the mess and rebuilding neighborhoods, roads and critical power and water infrastructure. Rescue crews, engineers, linemen, doctors, nurses and relief workers are pouring in from across the country.
As more areas are searched for the first time, the death toll is expected to rise. The lack of phone service and electricity in the region hampers efforts to locate missing individuals.
Asheville, North Carolina Police Deputy Chief Sean Aardema said Friday his agency is still investigating 75 active missing persons cases. Their agency found and rescued three survivors who had been trapped in rubble all week and got them to medical treatment — two who were trapped in debris inside the Swannanoa River and another person who had been trapped in their home.
HOW YOU CAN HELP HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF EFFORTS
As of Thursday, Buncombe County in western North Carolina reported 200 still unaccounted for.
Many in the region are still required to boil water as water mains remain damaged and wells contaminated by dirty floodwaters. An initial study by CoreLogic estimates damage costs have already reached $30.5 billion to $47.5 billion.
Over half a million people across the Southeast still remain without power more than a week after Helene struck. Duke Energy says while 1.2 million power outages have been repaired so far in North Carolina, about 170,000 still remain in the western mountainous region.
The company says about 105,000 will be long-term outages due to destroyed infrastructure. A 200,000 pound mobile substation has been brought to Biltmore Village, as their main substation was covered by water and will need 3-4 months to repair.
Hospitals across the U.S. were bracing for potential shortages of IV fluids and dialysis solutions after major supplier Baxter International’s medical plant suffered significant damage in Marion, North Carolina.
‘My grief today is unfathomable’
As the death toll climbs, communities are reeling for who they’ve lost among the destruction.
Kim Ashby, a 58-year-old seventh-grade teacher, is among the hundreds still unaccounted for in western North Carolina after her home was swept away by raging floodwaters.
58-year-old Kim Ashby is among the hundreds unaccounted for after she was swept away during Hurricane Helene’s floods in North Carolina.
She was with her husband in Elk Park when the nearby river swelled to engulf the home. As they tried to get out, debris struck the home, pulling it into the river and taking the Ashbys with it. Rod tried to hold onto Kim, but he lost his grip, and she was swept away, family members said.
“She’s just a happy, loving soul,” Meidinger said. “She’s known as Mama Kim to a lot of people, not just to her children. So she’s an incredibly vibrant individual that just spreads joy.”
In Asheville, Meghan Dry lost her 7-year-old son and both parents when they had to scramble to their roof to escape the floods, only to have the home break apart.
Three members of a North Carolina family, including a 7-year-old boy, died in the disastrous flooding from Helene. Now, the survivors share their story of immense grief and comforting faith.
“My son called out to the one God Almighty. And I think at that moment he was rescued, and he became my hero, and I think all of them carried me through that moment,” Drye said. “My grief today is unfathomable. I’m sorrowful. I feel broken.”
In Erwin, Tennessee, employees and family members are mourning the loss of several workers at Impact Plastics, who were swept away trying to escape the raging Nolichucky River through town.
One of the presumed dead is Rosy Reynoso, a 29-year-old devoted wife and mother of two.
“At one point, she called her husband and said, ‘This is bad. I don’t think I’m going to make it. Can you tell our kids how much I love them and take care of them?” Annabel Andrade said as she held back her tears.
‘I knew there was nobody else coming’
For the survivors, many had harrowing tales of escaping the rushing waters.
John Zara and his family had to scramble to the roof of their home in Swannanoa as the river reached well beyond record levels.
“Within an hour or less the water went from street level to inside my house to up to my chest,” Zara said. Neighbor John Arndt and another came with kayaks to pluck Zara, his wife and two young kids off the roof, but the rescues weren’t done.
“Folks started to hear some noise over there (next door homes) and realized they were trapped in their attic,” Zara said. Two men who lived nearby made it over with an ax and cut the roofs open, rescuing two families and their dogs trapped inside their attics.
“There were sheds floating down (the street),” Arndt said. “We had to dodge tires, cars, washing machines, anything you could think of. It was just surreal. It was it was crazy.”
The shocking moment a camper van was carried over a waterfall in Fries, Virginia, was caught on camera last week. The camper goes over the waterfall and is not seen again before the video ends.
But they all made it to safety.
“There’s not enough thanks and graciousness in the world I can bestow upon them,” Zara said. “We owe our lives, my family’s lives and those other family’s lives to those two gentlemen that were able to get a kayak down to us…. I knew there was nobody else coming.”
But there were stories of perseverance as well.
A South Carolina man walked 17 miles through Helene’s destruction to still make it to his daughter’s wedding.
When a South Carolina father realized he might miss his daughter’s wedding due to impassable roads from Helene, he made a remarkable decision to walk 17 miles to be there. David Jones joins FOX Weather to share his journey through miles of debris to witness his daughter walk down the aisle.
(Stellar Photography)
In hard-hit Asheville, volunteers and staff at an animal shelter managed to save over 100 pets by scrambling to get them out of harm’s way before flooding devastated the town.
“When I went there, and I saw everything underwater, it was just devastating,” said Leah Craig Chumbley of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. “And also, my gosh, thank God we got them out … If we hadn’t done that, all of them would have perished in that building.”
East Tennessee native and country music star Dolly Parton announced Friday she would donate $1 million as part of a $10 million donation partnership with Walmart.
“These are my mountains, these are my valleys, there are my rivers flowing like a stream,” Parton said. “These are my people, these mountain-colored rainbows. These are my people, and this is my home.”
Federal, state and local aid continues to pour into the region as communities slowly work to get back on their feet.
North Carolina
North Carolina primary could mean Roy Cooper vs Michael Whatley in pivotal fall Senate race
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s primary will be the official starting gun for one of the country’s most closely watched U.S. Senate campaigns, likely pitting former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.
Each candidate is the most high-profile contender for their party’s nomination, which should be sealed on Tuesday. Scores of other races also are on the ballot, including for the U.S. House, state legislature and judicial seats.
North Carolina, a traditional battleground where Democrats have been able to hold the governor’s seat even as voters helped send President Donald Trump to the White House, is one of three states kicking off this year’s midterm elections, along with Texas and Arkansas. Tuesday’s slate of primaries comes against the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel attack on Iran.
The war, which began over the weekend, has killed at least six U.S. service members, spiraled into a regional confrontation as Iran retaliated and sent oil and natural gas prices soaring. The president, who campaigned on an isolationist “America First” agenda and went to war without authorization from Congress, faces mounting questions over its rationale and an exit strategy.
North Carolina’s election this year could be crucial for determining which party controls the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently have the majority. The seat is open because Sen. Thom Tillis decided to retire after clashing with President Donald Trump. Political experts say a typhoon of outside money could make the race the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history, perhaps reaching $1 billion.
Many Democrats see Cooper, who served two terms as governor and has been successful in state politics for decades, as the party’s best shot at victory. Democrats need to pick up four seats to take back control of the Senate, and they view the most likely path as winning in North Carolina, Maine, Alaska and Ohio.
Cooper faces five lesser-known rivals on Tuesday. Other Republicans on the Senate ballot include Navy officer Don Brown and Michele Morrow, who was the party’s nominee for state schools chief in 2024.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, arrives to an early voting site to cast his vote on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Gastonia, N.C. Credit: AP/Erik Verduzco
Cooper formally entered the race weeks after Tillis announced last summer he wouldn’t seek a third term, as did Whatley, who was buoyed by Trump’s backing when the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump declined to enter. The two candidates have been campaigning for months against each other with little focus on intraparty opposition.
Whatley promises to keep pushing Trump’s agenda if elected, one that he says has cut taxes and spending and restored U.S. military might.
“It’s very important for us to have a conservative champion and for President Trump to have an ally in the Senate,” he said while voting early in Gastonia. “We’re going to be fighting for every family and every community in North Carolina.”
Some primary voters say Congress needs Democratic control as a counterweight to Trump and what they consider disastrous policies.
President Donald Trump listens as Michael Whatley speaks to soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, N.C., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
“I think we need to send a message. And I think the more Democrats that show up, and the more independents that show up for this midterm election, and the more seats we can take from the Republicans, the more he might get the message,” said Lisa Frucht, 67, said as she cast a ballot for Cooper at an early voting site north of Raleigh.
Republican voter Gary Grimes, who chose Whatley, said Democratic control of Congress could lead to more impeachment efforts against Trump that ultimately won’t succeed.
“It’ll be a repeat of what they did to Trump in the first term,” said Grimes, 71, “And they can’t see anything except getting Trump, at any cost.”
A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008. Meanwhile, Cooper, 68, hasn’t lost a North Carolina election going back to first running for the state House in the mid-1980s, leading to 16 years as attorney general and eight as governor through 2024.
Whatley, 57, previously worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, for then-North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and as an energy lobbyist.
Cooper and his allies have centered campaign attacks on Whatley’s allegiance to the president and Trump policies, saying he backs higher tariffs and Medicaid spending reductions and must take blame for slow Hurricane Helene recovery aid.
Voting recently in Raleigh, Cooper said he wants to “make sure that I’m a strong, independent senator who can work with this president when I can, stand up to him when I need to and recognize that people are struggling right now.”
Whatley, Trump and other Republicans have blistered Cooper on criminal justice matters, accusing him of promoting soft-on-crime policies while governor. They’ve repeatedly highlighted last August’s fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train. Trump identified Zarutska’s mother in attendance at last week’s State of the Union address.
Cooper told reporters recently that his career is about “prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars.”
Tuesday’s election also includes primary elections in all but one of North Carolina’s U.S. House districts. They include a five-candidate GOP primary in the northeastern 1st Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis, who faced no primary opposition.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly created last fall a more right-leaning 1st District to join Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections to retain the House. Davis won in 2024 by less than 2 percentage points.
YUKON, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma City Police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon Monday night.
The shooting happened near Northwest 10th Street and South Yukon Parkway near the border of Yukon and Oklahoma City.
Police are on the scene, and officials said the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the hip.
OKCPD said they have at least one person in custody.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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The college basketball slate on Tuesday will include Mike Sharavjamts and the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-17, 3-13 SEC) hosting Nate Ament and the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at Colonial Life Arena, with the matchup tipping at 6 p.m. ET.
See more details below, including how to watch this game on SEC Network.
Here’s everything you need to prepare for Tuesday’s college hoops action.
South Carolina vs. Tennessee: How to watch on TV or live stream
- Game day: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
- Game time: 6 p.m. ET
- Location: Columbia, South Carolina
- Arena: Colonial Life Arena
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Tennessee vs. South Carolina stats and trends
- Tennessee is averaging 80.1 points per game (87th-ranked in college basketball) this year, while ceding 69.2 points per contest (62nd-ranked).
- The Volunteers are dominating when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (40.1 per game) and second-best in boards allowed (25.8 per contest).
- Tennessee ranks 32nd in the country with 17.0 assists per game.
- The Volunteers are committing 11.6 turnovers per game (240th-ranked in college basketball). They are forcing 10.6 turnovers per contest (231st-ranked).
- Tennessee is making 6.8 threes per game (279th-ranked in college basketball). It has a 34.3% shooting percentage (167th-ranked) from three-point land.
- With 7.9 threes conceded per game, the Volunteers rank 196th in the country. They are giving up a 30.5% shooting percentage from three-point land, which ranks 29th in college basketball.
- Tennessee is attempting 41.3 two-pointers per game this year, which account for 67.7% of the shots it has taken (and 76.2% of the team’s baskets). Meanwhile, it is attempting 19.7 three-pointers per contest, which are 32.3% of its shots (and 23.8% of the team’s buckets).
Tennessee vs. South Carolina Odds and Spread
- Spread Favorite: Volunteers (-8.5)
- Moneyline: Tennessee (-437), South Carolina (+328)
- Total: 143.5 points
NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 1:12 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
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